By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
State law is forcing the Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin to begin offering its employees insurance coverage for birth control.
The Wisconsin State Journal is reporting that the diocese tried to get around the mandate, which was passed into law last year by a Democratic-controlled legislature without a religious exemption. The only way to escape the mandate was to become self-insured, an option that proved too costly. They were then forced to provide a commercial policy that must now include birth control coverage.
Diocesan spokesman Brent King told the Journal that all of its employees sign a morals clause when hired which states that they will abide by Catholic teaching, so the diocese expects them to follow the prohibition against prescription contraception. Employees will be warned against using the benefit and that open defiance of Catholic teaching on the issue could ultimately lead to termination.
“If someone were to misuse that freedom in this regard, it could be grounds for termination,” King said.
However, the termination would take place only if the employee refused to obey Church teaching after being counseled on the matter. “It wouldn’t be the first thing we do,” he said.
King also admitted that it will be impossible to police users of the coverage and employees would have to offer up the information in order to be discovered.
Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Catholic Conference is lobbying hard for a religious exemption, charging that the mandate violates the right of conscience established in the Wisconsin Constitution.
“Nowhere does the Constitution say that the right of conscience is protected except in matters related to human reproduction,” the bishops said in a 2009 statement. “Whatever course we pursue in this matter, we want all Catholics in Wisconsin to know that we will also continue to affirm and communicate the teachings of our faith.”
Three of the state’s five Catholic dioceses – Milwaukee, Madison and Green Bay – purchase private health insurance, which means they are now required to include contraceptive coverage. However, some of these policies aren’t up for renewal until later this year, so the hope is the Legislature will provide for the exemption before then. The dioceses of Lacrosse and Superior are self-insured and are not bound by the law.
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